The Harmful Effects of Pesticides

The harmful effects of pesticides have been widely documented. Sure, they can be used to help you in the garden by getting rid of bad weeds and insects, among them grubs and aphids. But be aware that the use of pesticides is hardly what you’d call “green”; furthermore, pesticides pose a number of health hazards to you as well as your family.

Here are the top reasons why you should stop using pesticides:

Pesticides harm your soil

As poisons, pesticides kill certain pests, but they also lower the quality of your soil by killing those insects and active soil organisms that are essential to soil fertility. This then leads to bad water retention and other similar soil problems. You’re basically killing off what you are trying to grow. Want to have a higher yield, particularly in times of drought? Ditch the pesticides.

Pesticides decrease biodiversity and contaminate the water

Another one of the harmful effects of pesticides is that it decreases biodiversity – especially in water and aquatic systems. When they leach through the soil and run off into waterways like rivers and streams, pesticides kill the fish and contaminate the water. According to a recent US Geological Survey, 30 to 60 percent of our wells are contaminated with at least one pesticide, and 14.1 million people regularly drink water that contains five major agricultural herbicides, none of which can be removed by treatment plants.

Pesticides contribute to air pollution

Pesticide spray can drift through the air and be carried miles from where it was originally used. That’s how pesticides can be detected miles away from agricultural sites, or in snow and rainfall. Some highly mobile pesticides – like atrazine – can even travel as far out as 600 miles from where they were first sprayed. They’re a persistent bunch, too, and are pretty hard to break down into less harmful components. The result? Contaminated groundwater, and pesticides drifting to harm the ozone layer and contribute to global warming. Birds’ habitats are also reduced, while endangered species are further threatened.

Pesticides can kill

Chronic exposure to pesticides leads to symptoms like burning, stinging, itching, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, coughs, and other forms of irritation. It can also lead to pesticide poisoning, which can actually cause death or contribute to neurological damage, like epilepsy and Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. In fact, in a recent US study, pesticides have been tied to ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity) in children. Meanwhile, 18,000 workers in agriculture in developing countries die every year from severe pesticide poisoning.

Pesticides contaminate food

Seventy percent of non-organic fruits and vegetables – and 100 percent of milk samples – are said to be contaminated with at least one pesticide. That’s a scary thought, especially if you’re a fruit salad lover. It may be time to shop for organic food!

Chicagoans Green Interests

Credit to Antonio Perez, Tribune photo

The Tribune ran a poll with suburbanites about how they feel towards transportation funds- that is, whether people would rather see money being put towards fixing expressways or towards public transit. Surprisingly, the majority favored the latter! Although for many of us city-dwellers using out CTA passes on a daily basis is quite typical, in the past people living in the suburbs obviously use[d] cars more, but recently these usual drivers have reported to taking more advantage of the trains and busses in their area.

In addition to leaving the wheel behind, the Tribune also reports that 77% of Chicago area citizens have made changes in their daily routines to live more green/ earth-friendly.  Citizens report participation in community gardening, supporting farmer markets, recycling, and purchasing less single-use products like paper plates or plastic water bottles, among other things.

The results of these polls are quite encouraging, so keep it up Chicago!

Green Exchange in Chicago: A Sustainable Retail and Business Marketplace

When you think of a mall or a huge office building, it is difficult not to associate it with consumerism, a disposable culture, inefficiency, carbon emissions, and an awful lot of wasted parking space.

Chicago – a city noted for its commitment to sustainable initiatives – aims to change all that with the Green Exchange.

The former home of the Vassar Swiss Underwear Company and the Frederick Cooper Lamp Company, Green Exchange is an ongoing commercial real estate development designed to be the country’s first large-scale retail and business center that’s devoted to socially responsible products and services. This means that the site will host a plethora of green tenants under one green roof.

Located at 2545 West Diversey Avenue, ten minutes north of the Chicago Loop, Green Exchange is being envisioned as a state-of-the-art location where leading green businesses can converge and share sustainable ideas and where green retailers can showcase their services and solutions to the shopping public.

The developers of Green Exchange have repurposed 272,000 square feet of factory space to offer green features that include:

-          A green roof

-          8,000 square feet of organic garden with an adjacent onsite restaurant

-          LED lighting through 35,000 square feet

-          Car-sharing services and priority low-emitting or hybrid vehicle parking

-          Parking slots that include outlets for plug-in hybrids

-          State-of-the-art recycling units on all five floors

-          A 41,329-gallon rain cistern for capturing storm water and using it for irrigation and water features

-          A green escalator that uses 30 percent less energy than traditional escalators

-          Solar thermal panels for domestic hot water and air conditioning

-          Energy efficient windows, high efficiency air filters and air quality sensors, low-consumption HVAC system, and low-VOC building paint

The Green Exchange in Chicago – which will be visible to over 350,000 people every day as well as to major Chicago streets and public transport systems – is currently leasing its spaces to green tenants; the developers have also worked to secure the site as a landmark, which means that its tenants will benefit from lower occupancy costs as a result of Class L property tax incentive. This can lead to real estate property tax savings of up to 58 percent.

DIY Patio Heater

Credit to Instructables.com

As our colder months start to get even colder its always nice to have some source of heating outdoors, for that impromptu party or for watching the kids build snow-men in the front yard while drinking some Hot Toddies.  Or if you’re a creative café or restaurant owner you’re smoker patrons truly appreciate some sort of heat beyond your door.  So instead of going to Home Depot and laying down the dollars for some typical outdoor heater, build your own from a stainless steal drum that comes from a front-loading washer machine!  This idea was found at Instructables and to make it you will need:

Stainless steel washing machine drum.
1″ galvanized tube (scavenged from an old farm gate)  20 x 6mm flat steel could also be used.
The rim from an old bike wheel.
M6 nuts, bolts and washers.
Self taping screws.

Once you have these guys, go here for step by step directions!